Chapter 3 Lying on the Ice to Seek Carp
Chiseling ice, are you chiseling ice?
No, what we are carving is reputation and future!
Every chisel you make today will make the road ahead easier.
Chu Hong was full of energy, he picked up the hoe and struck hard...
Compared to the motivated Chu Hong who was chiseling the ice, the people watching were chatting more enthusiastically.
The story of a filial son but an unkind mother does attract everyone's attention.
……
Shortly after noon, Chu Hong fiercely chiseled through the ice, and icy water rushed up into the sky.
"Hey hey hey? There's a fish!"
"Look, there's a fish!"
"Hiss...are there really live fish?"
A surprised and noisy voice diverted everyone's attention, and the group's eyes instantly focused on Chu Hong, with great concentration.
The white fishes rolled out one after another as if they had seen heaven. Soon, dozens of fish landed on the ice.
Chu Hong's hands were red from the cold, but he looked full of joy, with tears streaming down his face: "Mom... Mom finally has fish to eat!"
After a moment, he seemed to remember something and bowed respectfully, "I am Chu Hong from Yangzhou. My mother is seriously ill and wants to eat fresh fish. This time, I would like to thank the river spirit for giving me the fish. One day, when my mother recovers, I will burn incense to pay tribute to the river spirit for this kindness."
Chu Hong's pious and sincere kneeling made the onlookers sigh, what a good person!
"Bu Mu, come and pick up the fish."
A hint of joy appeared on Chu Hong's resolute face, and he called on his servant to help pick up the fish.
When everyone saw this, they couldn't help but sigh with emotion. It was indeed extremely filial piety, worthy of the ancient sages!
While picking up the fish, Chu Hong took a quick glance at the number of people who had arrived and was very satisfied.
There are really a lot of people coming, and their quality is also quite high!
After more than ten years of hard work, now is the time to put it to use!
"Master, Master!"
Chu Hong and his servant were happily picking up the fish when a servant came running towards them shouting in the distance.
Looking at the servant breathing heavily, Chu Hong was gentle, happy, and a little proud. "Why, mother wants to eat fresh fish? Go back and tell her that, thanks to the blessing of the river god, fresh fish has been caught. She will be able to eat fresh fish later."
"No, it's not."
The servant saw that there were many people around him and looked hesitant, as if there was something he was not convenient to say.
"All of you here are my good friends in Yangzhou. You don't have to worry about anything. My mother's serious illness is not something to be ashamed of."
"Sir, the mistress said she was just a little bored during her recovery and wanted to have some fun with you. Now that the fish has been caught, God has mercy on us, so let it go!"
The servant's voice became weaker and weaker, but it had a clear penetrating power, and everyone could hear it clearly.
"What?"
Chu Hong was struck by lightning. His hands trembled slightly and his eyes were full of tears. For a moment he seemed a little confused, not knowing what to do. He looked aggrieved, sad, and a little desolate.
"Wow!"
The crowd was in an uproar.
"Okay!"
"What an ignorant fool!"
The fat boy Zhang Zhou was immediately furious. Others were afraid of Xu's identity, but he was not. Who wasn't born into a wealthy family in Yangzhou?
Don’t care about life or death, just do what you want if you don’t agree!
The people present had not expected that a stepmother would dare to take advantage of her eldest son's filial piety to amuse herself, and they were all discussing the matter in an uproar.
The Xu family's reputation was not good to begin with, and they had long felt that Xu was not a good stepmother. However, Chu Hong's act of breaking ice to catch carp was ultimately a filial act of a son, and no one could say anything openly.
Now, who could have imagined that Xu would dare to do such a thing?
"No, no, no! My mother would never play tricks on me like that, she would never play tricks on me like that!"
Chu Hong's face was in tears, and his words were full of grievance and disbelief, and he seemed to be disheartened, just like a young wife who had suffered a great injustice.
Everyone could see that Chu Hong's scholarly spirit was gone, replaced by helplessness and misery. "Alas, in the cold winter, you want to eat fresh fish. How can this not be a way of showing filial piety to Dalang?"
"This is hard to say, and I dare not say it!"
"For some things, everyone has a scale in their hearts, and justice is in the hearts of the people!"
"This, this, this... How disgraceful! How disgraceful!"
There have been many rumors in recent years about the Xu family mistreating their eldest son harshly. Once this incident came out, the voices of discussion became louder and louder, causing an uproar.
In the cold winter, the wind scrapes people's skin like a sword.
It hurts, it hurts so much!
Chu Hong sat quietly on the ice, as if he couldn't feel the coldness of the ice, his expression was as stone, which was a manifestation of extreme grief.
By the river, everyone felt that the way was unfair and everyone was indignant.
"Zifeng, get up. I will take you to seek justice. Ask the prefect to divorce that vicious woman. If the prefect insists on keeping her, I will ask my father to report her to the governor and the education commissioner. I don't believe that we can't get justice!"
The fat boy Zhang Zhou came forward with his trusted servants. Extraordinary strength burst out from his slightly plump body. He held Chu Hong's arm and pulled him up.
Chu Hong looked as still as a stone, but actually he had glanced at the situation in the distance. Knowing that everyone's indignation had been aroused, he couldn't help but feel a little excited, but he tried hard to suppress the turmoil in his heart.
Everything is ready, there is the east wind and the fire, all we need is to ignite it!
Chu Hong shook his head with a look of sadness and despair, gently spread out Zhang Zhou's hand, and walked towards the bag full of fresh fish in a daze.
He stared at the fish bag, tears falling silently, and the slight trembling of his hands showed that his heart was not at peace.
The fat boy was a little confused and waited quietly for his friend to calm down.
About a quarter of an hour later, Chu Hong slowly dragged the bag and walked towards the crowd with the help of the little fat man. When he was about ten meters away from the crowd, he bowed slightly and said, "My mother is seriously ill. I am just here to comfort her with fresh fish. How can I trouble you to mobilize so many people? Now that we have the fresh fish, my mother's illness can be cured. It's so cold, please go back!"
After saying that, Chu Hong picked up the bag and walked forward, looking listless and heading home.
He was full of energy when digging ice for an hour or two before, but now he is listless. How can we not sigh?
"Zifeng, how can you go back like this? How can you let me go back like this?"
"Zifeng, that vicious woman Xu is pretending to be seriously ill and using your filial piety to amuse herself!
"Zifeng, I don't believe you can't see that your stepmother is narrow-minded and has no talent or moral integrity. Do you really expect her to change her mind?"
"Wake up! Zifeng, as your good friend, I must seek justice for you!"
The fat boy was somewhat excited and indignant. He strode forward with great strides, full of the spirit of loyalty.
"Zhang Zhou, please don't meddle in my mother's affairs. I will go and ask her in person."
Chu Hong's eyes turned slightly red, and he wiped away what looked like tears, pretending to be strong.
There was another uproar, and many people were filled with indignation and wanted to seek justice.
The son knew that his stepmother was vicious and wanted to win her back with filial piety, but the stepmother was narrow-minded and used filial piety for fun.
This is simply amazing!
At this time, two farmers in the crowd looked at each other.
"Let's go together! Let's go and see!"
"Da Lang is kind and generous. We can't let him be deceived. Let's go and take a look together!"
Led by the two farmers, the indignation of the crowd was aroused and vented.
"One, one!"
"Then the Xu family is really disrespectful! Let's go together!"
"That makes sense. It is indeed insulting. Let's go together!"
"How can a filial son's heart be buried? Let's go and seek justice for Dalang!"
So, surrounded by the crowd, Chu Hong dragged the fish to the prefect's residence.
……
(End of this chapter)